novelODS Chapter 36 Will You Take Care of Me?
Chapter 36 Will You Take Care of Me?
As a female commentator, in order to maintain her figure and skin, she usually avoids these high-calorie night market delicacies.
But on this night, after experiencing the joy of a ten-game winning streak, the despair of solo queue, and finally having such a pleasant chat with Lin Mo, she decided to indulge herself!
……
A dozen minutes later, the car stopped in a parking lot of a bustling night market street.
Even though it was close to 2 a.m., the place was still bustling with people, and the air was filled with the enticing aroma of cumin-roasted meat mixed with charcoal.
Rita parked the car and unbuckled her seatbelt.
Just as she was about to push open the door and get out of the car, she suddenly remembered something, turned around, picked up a black baseball cap from the back seat, casually tied up her long, smooth hair, and put the cap on her head.
She pulled her hat down, covering most of her delicate face, revealing only her small, straight nose and alluring red lips.
"Even though it's the early morning, we're still public figures, and it would be awkward if we ran into fans," Rita explained to Lin Mo while tidying up a stray hair behind her ear.
Lin Mo smiled and said, "Don't worry, people who come out for barbecue in the middle of the night are only interested in the meat and won't see you."
The two walked into the night market side by side, randomly found a barbecue stall, and sat down at a relatively quiet plastic square table on the side.
"Boss! Fifty skewers of lamb, fifty skewers of beef, two servings each of grilled chives, grilled eggplant, and enoki mushrooms! And a large, ice-cold Coke!" Lin Mo shouted at the top of his lungs. "Oh, and ten grilled oysters too!"
"Okay! Boss, just a moment, I'll arrange it right away!" The shirtless boss responded enthusiastically.
Upon hearing the last sentence, Rita lightly kicked Lin Mo's shoe under the table: "Hey! Why did you order so many oysters?!"
"It's to nourish my body!" Lin Mo retorted confidently. "Playing a full best-of-five series during the day and then getting a ten-game winning streak in duo queue at night—even the richest man's cows aren't used like that! Is there anything wrong with eating some oysters?!"
"You...you win!" Rita was both angry and amused by his shameless behavior.
Soon, the steaming hot barbecue was served.
The aroma of cumin and chili powder filled her nostrils, and Rita forgot all about her appearance. She slightly raised the brim of her hat, picked up a skewer of lamb, and took a big bite.
"Mmm, delicious!" Rita squinted her eyes in satisfaction, her glistening red lips looking especially tempting under the light. "It's been so long since I've dared to eat so recklessly at a street stall!"
Looking at the unpretentious LPL goddess in front of him, Lin Mo suddenly felt that this lively night was even more beautiful than he had imagined.
Lin Mo stuffed two skewers of lamb into his mouth at the same time, and handed a tissue to Rita: "Eat slowly, I'm not going to take it from you."
"Hmph, you're eating so fast even though you're not trying to take it from me!" Rita retorted as she took the paper.
Just as Lin Mo was about to speak, a system notification sounded quietly in his mind:
[Ding! Target Rita's favorability towards the host has increased! Current progress: 26%!]
Lin Mo's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.
Coming tonight was the right decision!
The two enjoyed ice-cold cola and skewers with gusto, completely at ease.
After a few drinks, Rita opened up completely: "Seriously, Mozi, those moves you made in the game today... were they really tactics arranged by Coach Abu?"
"Absolutely!" Lin Mo picked up a grilled oyster and swallowed it in one gulp. "This is called the Extreme Pressure Resistance Style. It's a secret weapon we developed day and night in the training room, specifically designed to mess with the opponent's mentality."
Rita couldn't help but roll her eyes at his serious-sounding nonsense.
She knew this guy liked to talk nonsense, but his relaxed and easygoing way of chatting made her feel particularly comfortable.
Before they knew it, the two of them had devoured all the skewers on the table.
"belch"
Rita let out a soft burp and quickly covered her mouth.
She subconsciously touched her lower abdomen, which was now slightly swollen.
"Oh no, this meal is going to make me gain at least two pounds tomorrow." Rita looked at the skewers on the table. "Brother Mo, it's all your fault for ordering so much."
Lin Mo wiped his mouth and chuckled, "How can you blame me? Of those fifty skewers of mutton, at least thirty ended up in your stomach."
"You're talking nonsense!" Rita glared at him angrily, then stood up, stretched, and her beautiful curves were faintly visible under her hoodie. "I can't take it anymore, I'm a little full. How about... we take a walk around here to digest before going back? Otherwise, I really won't be able to sleep tonight."
"Sure, I'm feeling really full too." Lin Mo nodded and was about to pay the bill when Rita stopped him.
"It's a deal I made," Rita said, going ahead to pay the bill.
Lin Mo smiled and thought to himself, "That's good."
After all, the wealth left by the previous owner only adds up to a little over three thousand yuan, so every little bit saved counts.
After paying the bill, the two walked out of the bustling night market street side by side, wandering aimlessly forward.
At 3 a.m., Shanghai finally sheds the suffocating fast pace and hustle and bustle of the daytime.
The streetlights cast long shadows of the two people, and the gentle breeze of the late spring night felt especially pleasant on their faces.
Occasionally, one or two taxis would speed by on the road, and then the street would return to silence.
After walking for a while, Rita turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on Lin Mo's face, and said:
"Brother Mozi, let's get serious."
"Although you won the game today, and everyone is joking that you're a lucky charm, we're all in this industry, and you know that esports ultimately comes down to skill."
"The Spring Split Finals are coming up soon, and then there might be the Mid-Season Invitational and the Summer Split. You definitely have talent, but you still need to work hard to practice your champions and mechanics. You can't always rely on your teammates to have a super performance and carry you, right? If you can have a carry-level performance on the field, plus your good looks, you'll definitely become a top star in the future."
Hearing Rita's earnest words, Lin Mo chuckled inwardly.
Practice your skills?
If you're willing to duo queue with me, then why do we even need to queue?
Becoming a master is just a matter of time!
However, Lin Mo nodded and said, "Yes, yes, Sister Ta is right. I will definitely work hard and strive to improve myself when I get back..."
Rita sensed the perfunctory tone in his voice, rolled her eyes at him helplessly, but didn't continue lecturing him.
She sighed, kicking a small pebble with her foot: "Actually, I understand. The pressure on you professional players is immense. Take me, for example. Don't be fooled by my glamorous appearance on the commentary stage, wearing nice clothes and exquisite makeup. But what's the reality? I have to stay up all night every day watching recordings from other regions and memorizing data and tactical systems from various teams."
"If I say the wrong thing on stage, I'll be attacked by netizens after the competition. I'm exhausted, and the salary is so low that I can't save any money in a place like Shanghai. Sometimes I don't even know what I'm doing this for."
Under the cover of night, Rita showed a rare hint of fatigue.
Lin Mo turned to look at her, thinking that although LPL commentators' salaries weren't very high, they were still better than most working people's salaries.
But thinking about it, Rita is just a young girl struggling alone in a foreign land.
"Since you're so tired, why not take on less work?" Lin Mo said, hands in his pockets. "Give yourself some time off and rest. Don't push yourself too hard; health is the most important thing."
Rita inexplicably thought of a movie line and subconsciously blurted out, "Take less work? If I don't work, who will support me?"
The moment she said those words, she regretted it.
Although I get along well with Lin Mo, we've only known each other for a short time, so this is a bit too ambiguous...
However, just as she was worrying whether Lin Mo might misunderstand, Lin Mo's answer left her completely speechless:
"You wish!"
Lin Mo clutched his pocket and said seriously, "I'm still on my basic salary from youth training, I have to think twice before eating at Haidilao. I just told you I have a bad stomach and want to be a kept man, and you're trying to trick me? No way, absolutely not!"
Upon hearing these resolute words, Rita couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.
"Lin Mo!" Rita gritted her teeth and lightly kicked Lin Mo's shin. "Do you think I'm that worthless?! I'm quoting a movie line, you know?!"
"Hey! A gentleman uses words, not fists, Sister Ta!" Lin Mo said with a smile, putting some distance between them.
Seeing Lin Mo's carefree smile, Rita stomped her feet in anger, but a subtle smile curved her lips.
She felt that although the guy in front of her was a bit annoying, he was still interesting overall.
Without insincere pleasantries and greasy flirting, this genuine and relaxed feeling is actually more comfortable.
[Ding! Detected a fluctuation in the host's target's emotions. Current progress: 30%!]